Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile For Recruiters (Part 2)
7. Make your public profile visible to everyone
Your public profile is visible on search engines, meaning that recruiters can find you through Google searches. So, ensure your public profile is set to be visible to everyone and it will appear in search engine listings.
8. Use Good Quality Photos
Part of the reason that people use LinkedIn is to see how you present yourself in a business context. I think image is part of that deal. LinkedIn thinks it is too, because it only determines a profile fully complete if it has a picture. Yet, you can go put in a candidate search and you’ll still find profiles without photos. So, optimize your LinkedIn profile by including a good quality head shot, or upper torso shot in business attire/business setting.
9. Get well worded, specific recommendations from staff who have managed you.
We have talked previously about the value of recommendations on LinkedIn, and how they enhance your credibility by offering a reliable reference that can be traced back to source. But, that’s the key point, they can be traced back to a source, which in my opinion puts a greater emphasis on source credibility. While peer and client recommendations are useful and provide a useful 360 degree view, try to accumulate recommendations from staff who have managed you, (the more senior the better) as these carry more weight in the eyes of recruiters.
As well as this, try and encourage your references to write high quality, specific reviews that speak to your achievements within the context of real, named or well defined projects/situations, as this is more convincing and creates more impact.
10. Use LinkedIn Answers and Comment in Groups Discussions
LinkedIn experts claim that using LinkedIn Answers and commenting in group discussions will create more links back to your LinkedIn Profile which will raise your LinkedIn search ranking, meaning that you will appear higher in the search results and potentially receive more contacts from employers. This may be true, but the least it does is generate additional exposure for you.
Also, recruiters regularly mine discussion groups for prospects, so if you are active and showing that you are an expert in your field, you have a better chance of being contacted by a recruiter.
However, it’s a fine line between appearing like an active social networker and appearing like someone who may be networking at the expense of getting work done in the office. So moderate your activity in social networks and be mindful of the impression you may giving with the volume and type of activity.
11. Increase Your Connections
Increase your connections, using LinkedIn approved tactics. Why? Because search results are sorted starting with the closest degrees of connection and ending with the furthest degree of connection. So, the more connections you have, the more closely you will be connected to recruiters which will mean you will appear higher up their search results.
While LinkedIn is crucial, it is just one piece of the social media profile jigsaw which includes Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, YouTube, all of which must be utilized effectively and appropriately if you are to fully optimize your social media profile and impact.